Meta

Review: ‘Iron Man 3’ proves Part III doesn’t have to disappoint

With the Summer 2013 Blockbuster Season upon us, we have “Iron Man 3,” yet another third installment to a comic book adaptation franchise, this time of the series which helped launch Marvel Comics’ much larger cinematic universe.

Going into “Iron Man 3,” I had some hope that it would also break the “Part III” curse, but then, the franchise had suffered its stumble early with “Iron Man 2,” which while not nearly as bad as “Spider-Man 3” or “X-Men: Last Stand,” exhibited the same problems: doing many things adequately rather than doing one or two things great.

“Iron Man 3” definitely rights the ship and sets the groundwork for Marvel’s greater universe as it marches onward toward the eventual “The Avengers 2.” With a new director, it arrives with a new feel that manages to breathe new life into the franchise while still delivering the same amount of action and Tony Stark eccentricities brought to the screen by Robert Downey Jr.

“Iron Man 3” is an example of how an action franchise can continue to grow as it ages, providing a new look on not only its hero but also the genre as a whole.

The film is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.